Rowan Shepard
by KaleA24
Summary: This is a story that I am writing for my friend about her Shepard's history. This first one is Pre-Mass Effect but there will be more after this one that covers 1,2, and 3. Eventual Shenko, Please review! :
1. Chapter 1

******I do not own the Mass Effect characters or story lines. Those belong to BioWare**

**Prologue**

Minerva Shepard sat in the delivery waiting room caught between rage and anxiety. The rage is directed towards her not quite son-in-law for not letting her be with her daughter as she gives birth. That was 5 hours ago and this is where her anxiety comes from. One of the nurses who witnessed the heated exchange between the two, came out an hour ago to let her know that there were complications with the birth. She couldn't give her any more information than that. No one else has told her anything and she is trying to bury her apprehension with anger. "Deep breaths," she murmurs. As she brings all of her emotions under control she examines her motives for each. The anxiety is the easiest to come to terms with but when she examines her fury she realizes that she is not just mad at "that man," but also herself for cutting her daughter out of her life for the past several years. Of all the times that she has wished for her intuition about people to be wrong it would be with her daughter's "lover."

"If she dies, no I can't think that way." Pacing she takes control of the only thing that is within her power at the moment, her emotions. Even those are trying to get away from her, but she refuses to be ruled by them. That was for weaker people who…

HE stalks past her barely throwing a look in her direction, "Your daughter needs you."

_"What's wrong? Where are you going? ANSWER ME!"_ her mind screams at him. Instead of allowing these thoughts to escape she turns and runs to her daughter's room. The first sensation to hit her is the smell, latex and blood. Then her eyes catch up to her nose and she sees two nurses and one doctor staring at her like they were expecting someone else. She barely spares them a second before finding her daughter. She is so pale that the sheets seem to be claiming her. "Mother?" she croaks. Her eyes are hopeless and all of the life has left her.

_"She already looks dead."_ Minerva is barely holding herself under control. She forces her eyes to remain on her daughter's face as she clasps the weak hand that is extended towards her.

"Please take care of her," the life has come back into Hannah's eyes long enough to plead with her mother.

"Of course I will."

"Thank you Mom. You were right,"

"Shh, that isn't important right now."

"But you were. I should have listened. I'm so sorry." The tears are streaming down both of their faces. Neither one notices when the nurses and doctor leave the room.

"Mommy, tell her I'm sorry. Tell her that I loved her and that I didn't want to leave her."

"I will, Hannah, I promise. I love you."

"I love you more," Hannah smiles weakly at the private joke, as Minerva's reserve almost breaks. She looks frightened for a moment as she stares into her mother's eyes and then pure peace overwhelms her features before the light leaves her eyes.

Minerva finally allows herself to cry. Silent tortured sobs wrack her body for what seems like days. She stands and straightens her uniform as she tells herself to get a grip. The soft sounds of footsteps approaching from the hallway causes her to turn. The most beautiful sight since her own daughter's birth greats her. The baby is perfect. She is sleeping soundly despite the world around her. The nurse hands her the baby and an overpowering love and warmth fills her heart.

"What will you call her?" the nurse asks.

"Rowan," she whispers, "it was her mother's middle name."


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own the Mass Effect characters or story lines. Those belong to BioWare**

**Chapter 1**: Mindoir (16 years later)

"Hey Grandma," Rowan smiles at her grandmother's stern face. "How are you? How have things been at home?"

"They are the same as they were the last time you called," she answers in a even tone. Rowan knew that most people listening to their conversations would assume that her grandmother was a mean, controlling guardian, but Rowan knew better. When she was little, her grandmother had taken her to the parks and zoos just like everyone else's parents. Minerva was a reserved woman who was used to having to keep her emotions and feelings in check. She taught Rowan to fight her own battles and to push herself past whatever she thought her limits were. Minerva's Alliance training and subsequent career had proven this to be an effective method. She accepted a consulting position shortly before Rowan's birth. This position allowed Minerva to continue to help the Alliance and raise her granddaughter. "How are your classes? Are you still balancing friends and school? You're not letting those hormonal apes distract you are you?"

Rowan laughs, "I'm still at the top of my class, Grandma. Plus, between my friends and studies I don't have time for boys." She thought about making a joke about the Asari teacher that all of her peers thought was attractive but decided it would be pushing her luck. She didn't really get the appeal of having a crush on a teacher. She saw them as guides that helped her get to where she wanted to be. Speaking of her goals she made the split second decision to tell her grandmother about her post school plans. "Grandma, I wanted to tell you. I have decided," there was a flash of light on her grandmother's side of the camera followed by the _BOOM_ of an explosive. "GRANDMA?!"

"Rowan, I have to go. I don't know what's happening but I will call you as soon as I know. I lov.." the connection was severed. "No" Rowan sobbed. She didn't have time to dwell on her fear and sorrow because right outside her window she saw the same flash and heard the same explosive sound. Her dorm mates started screaming as one of the boys from downstairs came running in their room. "Batarians!" he yells. Rowan recognizes him as her friend Marcus. "Come on guys we have to get out of here and find someplace to hide," Rowan's mind was flooded with all of the things that her grandma had taught her to do when those around her are in danger and freaking out. The thought causes her to start to worry about her grandma but she pushes it to the back of her mind for later. She looks up and sees her 3 best friends scrambling to grab their possessions. A gunshot shakes Rowan from her reverie. "Sarah, Lee, Stephanie, come on. We don't need to take anything else. We need to go now!" They were some of the smartest girls in their class but panic makes people do strange things. Marcus puts his arms around a hysterical Sarah. _They just started dating last week_. Rowan thinks. _I can't let them get taken by those rotten slavers._ Running down the hall they dodge panicked students and she tries to get as many of them as she can to follow her but only a few of them do. Those few are people she knows. Continuing down the corridor Justin, one of the friends they picked up, says, "There! That door leads to the basement. The administration keeps some shuttles in the garage and I know of a back way through the basement." Rowan doesn't hesitate. She punches the holo and keeps walking as the door opens. Yielding the lead to Justin she falls back to check on Lee and Stephanie. "You guys hanging in there?"

"Yeah," Lee says. "I'm just really worried about my family." Lee's family lived on Mindoir like Rowan's. Stephanie tries to comfort Lee but she looks guilty. "I need to let my parents know that I'm ok," she mumbles. Her parents are part of the Alliance too but they don't live on the planet. They both were commanding officers of different ships. When they finally get to the shuttles they realize that all but one is destroyed. That one was blocked by Batarians. Justin throws up his hand and directs everyone to back up quietly. "What do we do now?"

"We need to try and contact the Alliance," Rowan replies. Looking at her omni-tool she realizes their signals are being jammed. Cursing under her breath she looks around the garage to see if there is anything that they can use as weapons. "Since we can't get a message out we need to find a way to that shuttle." Justin and Thomas, another one that they picked up, exchange glances. They had started working on the shuttles this semester so they knew their way around the garage. "There are some tools and torches but that's about it." He looked like he had more to say but a blood curdling scream cut through the air. They whip their heads around in time to see two Batarians dragging Sarah and Marian, another new comer, towards their comrades, guns pointed at the rest of the students.

"SARAH!" Marcus screams and runs at the slavers to get her back. Three shots ring out and Marcus falls to the floor. "MARCUS!" Sarah screams as she struggles against the Batarian's hold on her. All of the slavers start laughing at her anguish. Rowan feels her anger flare as her hands ball into fists. As she charges forward in a blind rage, she feels a hand grab her around her stomach and yank her back behind the wall as more shots ring out. She turns to lash out at them but stops when she sees Justin's face.

"We can't help them now. We have to run." She hesitates for a moment, knowing he is right but desperately wanting to save her friends. Grunting in frustration she turns with him and flees back through the door that led them into the room.

On the other side she sees that Thomas has gotten their other friends out of the garage safely. As soon as Justin and Rowan reach them they turn and run from the building. Outside the Batarian ships were beginning to leave but one of the slavers on the fringes of the group sees the students running for the woods and is about to alert the others when someone punches him in the back of the head stunning him long enough for his attacker to take his gun and shoot him. "RUN!" The boy screams. Rowan recognizes him as Michael, one of the boys in her year that just started joining their group after meeting Justin and Thomas in the garage.

He catches up to them right as they reach the first row of trees. They keep running until they can no longer hear the hum of the engines.

"Now what?" Rowan asks, not able to keep all of her frustration out of her voice. It kills her that she had to leave her friends behind.

"Now we run." Thomas replies.

"But run where? The closest shelter that is not on campus for me is on the other side of the planet." She protests.

"I know of a place about half a day's walk from here." Michael says. "It's one of the old cabins they used before the virtual survival tests made it out this far. Now they just use them for the upper classmen that know they are going into the Alliance to prep them even more for surviving planet side without any modern tech. They usually have some non-perishable food stored in them." Rowan remembers that Michael has an older brother who graduated last year and assumes that he took Michael there before he left.

"Ok we head there and stay the night. We can figure out what to do after that in the morning." Rowan barely recognizes her voice. She sounds like she has been leading troops for years rather than a scared and angry 16 year old whose biggest concern before an hour ago was how she was going to pass her finals.

They reach the cabin just before night fall. The Batarians attacked early in the day so they were able to have enough daylight for travel. The cabin is even better than Michael described it. This one has obviously not been used in at least a year because it is fully stocked. Not only does it have food, but it also has clothes, blankets, flashlights and travel packs, basically everything that they will need to make a trek through the woods. Rowan and the rest of the group divide up the packs and pick places to sleep. They eat some of the food they will not be carrying with them the next day by the light of the flashlights and try to make conversation. All attempts stop after it becomes clear they all need time alone. They turn off the flashlights and everyone crawls into their sleeping bags. Their adrenaline finally deserts them and they are able to drift off to sleep. Rowan's last thought before sleep claims her is, "I hope you are safe, Grandma."


	3. Chapter 3

******I do not own the Mass Effect characters or story lines. Those belong to BioWare**

**Chapter 2:** Mindoir

Rowan expected to be the first one awake the next morning. It was still dark but she was wide awake. Her sleep had been plagued with nightmares. In them she watches helplessly as everyone she has ever loved is ripped away from her by the slavers, including her mother whom she has never seen. The one dream that caused sleep to finally desert her involved her grandmother. It started with the last conversation they had. Rowan is about to tell her grandmother about wanting to join the Alliance when the explosion that was just heard and seen in the actual conversation, rips through the apartment and her grandmother's body in a flash of light so bright and an explosion so loud that when she jolts awake she expects to see an after image and her ears to be ringing. Instead her eyes are greeted by the dark of pre-dawn and the silence of a sleepy forest.

Making sure not to wake anyone else, she carefully makes her way through the maze of sleeping bodies to the kitchen. She finds a coffee pot and sighs with relief that in the madness of the past few hours she is able to have this small semblance of normal. The quiet is calming. The smell of the coffee helps to relax her mind. By the time the coffee is done she is completely relaxed and the warmth from her cup is able to physically relax the last few muscles in her hands and arms. The aroma instantly transports her to her grandmother's apartment. She is in the middle of a rare silly memory of her grandmother when a smooth deep voice interrupts her thoughts causing her to jump a bit. "You gonna drink it or just shove your face in it? I mean it's up to you but I thought the point was to drink it."

She spins around and finds herself face to face with Michael. Well actually she finds herself face to chest with him but she has been able to pick his voice and form out of a crowd recently. She realizes that yesterday was the first time in weeks that he was able to sneak up on her without her heart trying to escape through her mouth. She finds this encouraging because it means that she is able to focus on a situation without getting distracted. No matter how sexy that distraction is. This will come in handy if she can ever get off this planet and join the Alliance. With growing embarrassment she realizes that she has been staring at his chest for just a bit longer than is appropriate. She jerks back when she hears him begin to chuckle.

"Of course I'm going to drink it," she retorts. "I was simply enjoying a moment of peace before everyone wakes up. I thought I was the only one."

"No I have been up for a few hours. Things are really quiet out there."

"Were you keeping watch all night?"

"Yeah I mean I was the one with the gun and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. Plus I wanted to make sure that we weren't being followed."

Rowan mentally kicks herself for not thinking of that. It would have been the first thing her grandmother thought of. Maybe she wasn't cut out for the Alliance. "Well I'm glad someone was thinking about that. Do you want some coffee? I can make more if there isn't enough for the others."

He gratefully takes the cup she hands to him, and for all his teasing he spends a good few seconds just inhaling the aroma. Unlike him, she decides to leave him to his memories and she heads out to the porch. The air is a little brisk and she is thankful for the hoodie that was in the pack. She sits in one of the deck chairs and pulls her knees up to her chest. She checks her omni-tool and sees that it is five in the morning. She rolls her eyes at her subconscious reminder of the emotional stress that she has endured. Michael joins her on the porch and leans on the railing staring out at the woods.

"We should leave soon," he says after a few moments of blissful silence. "The longer we stay in one place the easier it is for them to find us."

"You're right," she admits. "We should wake the others up."

They walk back into the cabin and begin the somewhat lengthy process of rousing the others. Stephanie wakes up as soon as Michael's hand touches her shoulder. The same happens when Rowan touches Thomas' shoulder. The others are much more reluctant to wake. Lee is the last to get up and then Rowan has to hold a cup of coffee directly under her nose to wake her up. They make two more pots of coffee and eat the last of the provisions they won't be taking. By the time they are ready to leave it is two hours later. Looking to Michael, Rowan says, "So any ideas about where we go from here?"

"The closest town is 160 kilos. So it should take us about 5-6 days," he said.

"Ok," Rowan said doing some quick calculations in her head. "We will walk for 4 hours, stop for lunch, then walk until the sun starts to set and stop to make camp." There it was again, that voice coming out of her that spoke with more authority than she felt she had. Shaking it off, she looks to Michael to lead the way since he clearly knows where he is going. He sets a brisk but manageable pace that they are able to maintain until they stop for lunch. The rest of their day is physically grueling but uneventful. When they stop for the night Rowan learns from her mistake yesterday and organizes a schedule for keeping watch. She and Michael are first since they are the least tired from the day's exercise. They all eat a quick meal and the others turn in for the night.

Rowan and Michael settled around the slowly dying campfire. Rowan thinks back to the past few months of schoolwork and friends. She looks at Michael and remembers when he first started joining their group. Before he came she had not allowed anyone to distract her from her goals longer than was absolutely necessary to keep her sane. Lately, however, she found herself thinking about him in little ways during the day. She had even had a vague dream about him one night. Nothing disturbing or even interesting, that she could remember, just him showing up and looking the way he always did and then fading away. At first she found this distraction annoying, but as she got to know him she realized that past the overly muscled sarcastic exterior he was an interesting and intelligent boy. They never spent time alone though so the fact that they had nothing to talk about right now didn't surprise her. The first hour passed in silence but Michael finally broke it by asking, "Do you think anyone else made it out?"

"I hope so. I was talking to my grandmother when they hit. I'm hoping her Alliance training kept her alive."

"My family moved off Mindoir after my brother graduated but we have a lot of friends that still live here."

"I hope they made it out." The reality that neither wanted to admit was that people hardly ever escaped when the Batarians invaded. They try several more times to make conversation but their minds are heavy with worry for all of their friends and family and for themselves. They had no idea if they would be able to make it to the next town and even if they did, they didn't know if there would be people or working tech for them to send out a distress call. When they end of their shift was up they woke up the next two. As she was laying down to sleep Michael said, "We make a good team ya know?"

"Yeah we do," she smiled to herself as she drifted off to sleep, thinking about how nice it is to have friends.


End file.
